The Solitaire Diaries

Once upon a time, Cay Bassett married Clint Vitale because she was pregnant, and she spent years regretting that their budget could not afford a diamond engagement ring for her. That regret led to Cay learning to cut gems and ultimately working full-time at Tiffany’s. It also led to Cay’s obsessive need to make sure her own sons would never lack diamonds for their brides; Cay hand-cut gorgeous two-carat solitaires for all three. Now nearing middle-age, Cay, Clint, and their three grown sons are facing all kinds of new beginnings and endings in their lives. As the boys struggle with life decisions and relationships, their mother’s diamonds are always in the back of their minds, but their paths might not lead to the soul mates and happy marriages Cay dreams of. And Cay and Clint must face their own mid-life surprise. In the end, will the Vitale family discover happiness?

Chiara Kelly’s novel The Solitaire Diaries is a fascinating exploration of the lives of the Vitale family. It is a relatively realistic glimpse into the life of a military wife, and while Clint’s career in the Marines is an important foundation of the book, the military lifestyle also doesn’t overpower other aspects of the story. Kelly does a decent job developing distinct personalities for all of her main characters, and their individual stories weave together to form a cohesive novel that ultimately will draw readers in and keep them interested until the end. It was fun (and absolutely necessary) to experience the story from the points of view of both Cay and Clint, as well as all three of their children. All in all, The Solitaire Diaries was a great character-driven novel with a satisfying conclusion.